1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fire extinguisher devices and, more particularly, to fire extinguisher devices especially adapted for extinguishing fires under the hood of a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fires under the hood of a motor vehicle are very dangerous occurrences. Moreover, there are numerous potential causes of such fires which include: a collision of the motor vehicle; an electrical short circuit or other electrical overload; and a gasoline leak, among others. Once an under-hood fire starts burning, there is generally not much that can be done to immediately stop the fire. For those motor vehicles which have a hand-carried fire extinguisher, one must first locate the fire extinguisher and then bring it to the hood area. Such actions take time, and, in the case of an under-hood fire, time is of the essence. In this respect, it would be desirable if a fire extinguisher were located under the motor vehicle hood so that it need not be carried there from another location in the motor vehicle.
It would even be more desirable if a fire extinguisher were automatically activated under the hood of a motor vehicle in the event of an under-hood fire. Throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to fire extinguishers for under-hood fires, and the following U.S. Pat. Nos. are representative of some of those innovations: 3,568,774; 4,383,579; 4,423,784; 4,986,365; and 5,119,878. More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 3,568,774 discloses an automatic fire extinguisher that is activated by heat. Although such a device is desirable in the case when a fire has broken out, such a device does not serve to prevent the occurrence of a fire. In this respect, it would be desirable if an under-hood fire extinguisher were automatically activated upon the occurrence of a collision, before a fire actually breaks out.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,579 discloses a shock actuated fire prevention system for automobiles that depends upon trip wires for activating a system for dispensing a fire extinguishant. The use of trip wires is quite complex. In this respect, it would be desirable if a fire extinguisher for an automobile does not employ trip wires.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,784 discloses a manually operated fire extinguisher that distributes a fire extinguishant to under the hood. As stated above, it would be desirable if an automobile fire extinguisher were automatically activated.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,365 discloses an automatically activated, inertia-responsive, under-hood fire extinguisher which is located in one location under the hood and sprays a fire extinguishant from that one under-hood location to other regions under the hood. Because of the single location of the fire extinguishant, the concentration of the fire extinguishant received by an under-hood fire decreases the farther away from the that the under-hood fire is. Because such a concentration gradient of fire extinguishant under the hood of a motor vehicle is not desirable, it would be desirable if a fire extinguisher system had a plurality of fire extinguishant dispensers under the hood so that reduced concentration gradients of the fire extinguishant are provided under the hood.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,878 discloses an inertia-sensitive switch which is manufactured into an assembly that is combined with a fire extinguisher. Such a manufactured system has a disadvantage of not being able to use off-the-shelf components that can be used for retrofitting a motor vehicle.
Still other features would be desirable in a vehicle engine fire extinguisher apparatus. To distribute a fire extinguishant evenly under the hood of an automobile, it would be desirable if a distribution assembly were provided which were specifically designed for substantially even distribution of the fire extinguishant under the hood.
When an automobile collision occurs, it is most often in the front of the vehicle. When a collision occurs at the front of a vehicle, the automobile radiator is one of the first automobile structures to experience the impact. In this respect, it would be desirable if a fire extinguisher for an automobile were responsive to collision impact force on the radiator of the automobile.
When an automobile rolls over, such a condition may be a prelude to an under-hood fire. Therefore, it would be desirable if a vehicle engine fire extinguisher apparatus were automatically activated when the vehicle rolls over.
One cause of fires under the hood is due to uncontrolled electrical discharge. In this respect, it would be desirable if a fire extinguisher for an automobile were automatically activated in conjunction with automatically opening up the automobile ignition circuit.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use automatically activated fire extinguishers for under the hood of a motor vehicle, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a vehicle engine fire extinguisher apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) is located under the motor vehicle hood so that it need not be carried there from another location; (2) is automatically activated under the hood of a motor vehicle in the event of an under-hood fire; (3) uses off-the-shelf components that can be used for retrofitting a motor vehicle; (4) is automatically activated upon the occurrence of a collision, before a fire actually breaks out; (5) does not employ trip wires; (6) provides a reduction of concentration gradients of the fire extinguishant under the hood; (7) is specifically designed for substantially even distribution of the fire extinguishant under the hood; (8) is responsive to collision impact force on the radiator of the automobile; (9) is automatically activated when the vehicle rolls over; and (10) is automatically activated in conjunction with automatically opening up the automobile ignition circuit. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique vehicle engine fire extinguisher apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.